Emery to tour Canada’s Universities

By
Pete Brady
on February 20, 2004

The Marc Emery road show is back in gear starting March 2, when the world-famous seed seller begins a series of college speaking engagements with a visit to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
Emery’s last sojourn across Canada happened last year, when he smoked marijuana and sometimes got arrested for it in cities and small towns across the country.

Emery believed that judicial rulings made it legal to possess cannabis in Canada, and his smoking tour was designed to test the law, and law enforcement, in various locales.

Emery was right about the law- charges in all six cities where Emery was arrested for possession were dropped, and court decisions have supported Emery’s claim that marijuana was legal from July 31, 2001 to October 7, 2003.

This year’s college tour is meant to galvanize young Canadians, Emery says. He feels that the marijuana movement has momentum on its side, with Parliament considering legislation that would make subtle changes in marijuana laws while leaving the most dangerous elements of marijuana prohibition in place, and with Vancouver seeing a boom in marjuana-related businesses.

The legendary seed merchant also intends to spread an even more political message during his March tour. Along with Cannabis Culture editor and co-publisher Dana Larsen, Emery believes that Canada’s NDP political party, and especially its leader Jack Layton, have embraced the marijuana movement. Larsen is seeking the nomination as the NDP candidate in the West Vancouver riding, and Emery says he will talk to students about joining the NDP and trying to change pot laws from within the system.

The internationally-famous Emery has honed his skills as a public orator during hundreds of appearances in the last decade, and has also become even more witty and urbane while hosting his own live television show and a recent entheogenic conference at his headquarters in Vancouver.

The Marc Emery tour schedule is included below. Please note that Emery’s tour coordinator, Jody Pressman, needs assistance setting up tour appearances at colleges that are not yet booked for Emery’s visit.

March 10 – York University – Stedman Lecture Hall D – 5pm
March 11 – University of Toronto – Lash Miller Chemical Labs building, Room 161 – 7pm
March 12 – Mohawk College – Alumni Hall, 2-5pm
March 15 – McMaster University – TSH 120 @ 2:30pm
March 16 – Guelph University – Room 105 MacNaughton Building at 7pm.
March 17 – Laurentian University (Sudbury) – University Pub at 3pm
March 18 – Queens University – Wallace Hall (Room 141) of the John Deutsch University Centre – 6pm
March 19 – Carleton University – Bell Theatre, Minto Building at 3pm.
March 22 – University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon – Room 206 in the Arts and Sciences building 7pm
March 24 – University of Alberta at Edmonton- Alumni Room in the Students Union building at 3pm
March 25 – Lethbridge (Alberta) Community College – IB Theatre 1pm
March 29 – Memorial University of NFLD – Breezeway Bar, Students Center Building 5pm.
March 31 – University of Western Ontario – Atrium of University Community Centre (UCC) 11am-1pm